Nazir 55a

נזיר נ״ה ע״א

Learn Nazir 55a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Nazir 55a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Traveling into ארץ העמים inside a box, and רב חסדא on when a מצורע נזיר must restart his count

Overview

The גמרא tries to show that the question of whether the רבנן's decree on ארץ העמים is about its air or its earth is already a dispute of תנאים. רבי says a person who enters ארץ העמים inside a chest, box, or cabinet is impure, and רבי יוסי ברבי יהודה says he is pure. The first suggestion is that both hold the decree is about the earth, and they argue over whether a moving tent (אהל זרוק) counts as a tent. A ברייתא shows that רבי יוסי ברבי יהודה holds a moving tent is not a tent, so that explanation falls. Instead, both may hold the decree is about the air, and they argue whether the רבנן decreed even for a rare case; a ברייתא backs this up. A second explanation is that they argue only over the worry that he will put his head and most of his body outside the box, and another ברייתא supports that. The גמרא then turns to the משנה's rule that a נזיר who became a מצורע 'starts and counts' again. רב חסדא limits this to a short נזירות. רב שרביא begins challenging him from the משנה, and his challenge continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (9)

1. ProofLinking the air-or-earth question to an earlier dispute
2. RejectionBoth may hold it is the earth; the dispute is about a moving tent
3. Challengeרבי יוסי ברבי יהודה himself holds a moving tent is not a tent
4. ResolutionBoth hold it is the air; they argue whether the decree covers a rare case
5. ProofA ברייתא shows that common vehicles were included in the decree but rare containers were not
6. ResolutionAnother explanation: they argue over whether he might stick his head out
7. ProofA ברייתא shows that רבי יוסי ברבי יהודה makes him impure only if he actually leans out
8. Statementרב חסדא limits starting the count again to a short נזירות
9. Challengeרב שרביא challenges רב חסדא from the משנה